Molecules of Murder

18 May 2010, United Kingdom

Introduction

Molecules of Murder is about 10 deadly molecules and the murderers who used them. It views crimes from the viewpoint of the poison itself, and by doing so shines new light on how famous murders and assassinations were carried out and ultimately how the perpetrators were uncovered and brought to justice by the skills of forensic chemists. The talk covers the history of some deadly molecules, their use in medicine, their effects on the human body, and how they can be detected. All of them were employed in famous murder cases and we can now see why some killers and would-be killers were caught, how some are still at large, and how some literally got away with murder. Molecules of Murder also explains why some of these molecules, which are intrinsically life-threatening, are now being researched as possible life-savers.